Definition of “too hard”

My favorite conversations take place in those informal situations where the children just love to talk and tell you about their day. We hear about what happened at school, the upcoming field trips and what games they played at recess. There is an openness to these innocent children, and what they share about their feelings and their experiences is always amazing to me. And sometimes, it is heartbreaking.

Not too long ago, there was a group of children sitting at the table after school doing homework. One of the children, as children have a tendency to do, complained about having to do homework. “It’s too hard,” she kept saying, thinking she could stall long enough so that we would give up making her do it.

Then another child chimed in, “Do you know what’s too hard?” he said. “It’s too hard learning how to ride a bike without training wheels on it.”

There were a few other opinions offered then, on what each thought “too hard” meant.

Then, one little girl, barely into school said, “Do you want to know what too hard is? It’s too hard being homeless and not having any money. That’s what too hard is.”

Everything was quiet for a moment then as we thought for a moment about what this child had just said. The little girl just kept on working, not even realizing the impact of the statement she just made.

There are always times when we think something is too hard. But now whenever I being to think that something is too hard, I am going to remember the little girl who gave me a new perspective on just what “too hard” really means.